Blew Quote by John Gardner
““Another irritant is accidental rhyme, as in the sentence "When the rig blew, everything went flying sky-high--me too." Notice here that the rhyme is offensive because both rhyme words, "blew" and "too" are stressed positions; that is, the voice comes down hard on them. The rhyme is not offensive, to most ears, if the writer can get one of the rhymes out of stressed position: "The rig blew sky-high, and everything went flying, me too.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “On Rhyme and Meter” (published in 1975)
Accidental rhyme can feel jarring when both words fall on stressed beats, but moving one word out of stress reduces its harshness.
In simple terms: Stressed rhymes sound harsh; shifting stress eases them.
Key Takeaway
Mind stress patterns when crafting rhymes.
Themes
poetry
language
craft
sound
rhythm
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
educational
reflective
When to use this quote
- songwriting
- poetry workshops
- advertising jingles
- speech writing
Key Concepts
phonetics
prosody
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you prioritize sound over meaning?
- How can you maintain flow without forced rhyme?
A Different Perspective
Over‑reliance on forced rhyme can limit expression.
